SAN DIEGO — Nothing can stop Denver from winning the Super Bowl, according to Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton.

The great and powerful “Pot Roast” put everybody in the NFL from New England to Seattle on notice: The lone way this season will end is with the Broncos lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

“It doesn’t matter what happens. At the end of the year, we’re hoisting that trophy,” Knighton said Sunday, after Denver beat San Diego 22-10 to clinch the AFC West title.

“I don’t care if New England doesn’t lose again. I don’t care where we have to play. I don’t care who our opponent is. We’re not going to be satisfied until we hoist that trophy. So if we’ve got to go to New England (in the playoffs) and win somewhere we’re not used to winning, we’re going to make it happen.”

Those are bold words. Words that might be repeated to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and duly noted by Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.

Are you really confident the Broncos are going to win the championship, Mr. Knighton?

“Write that,” said Knighton, stamping his prediction with all the weight of his 330-pound frame. “And put a big period after that one.”

Is it OK to add an explanation point?

“Exclamation point!” Knighton insisted.

The road to the Super Bowl is littered with broken dreams because it is fraught with bad weather, tough foes and all manner of unexpected adversity. Who knows? A team might wake up on game day and not be certain its quarterback will be able to get out of bed, as was the case with Peyton Manning on Sunday.

For the first time in his memory of a lengthy NFL career, Manning required intravenous fluids to combat an upset stomach. One IV was not sufficient. It required four IVs to get him on the field.

So I felt compelled to ask, from one old geezer to another: Does Manning believe in the benefits of a flu shot?

“I had one earlier this year. The Broncos supply those for no charge, I think,” joked Manning, his sense of humor intact despite the fact his face was drained of color.

Nobody would have blamed Manning if he called in sick. But he had the AFC West division title to win for the third time since joining the Broncos in 2012. Heck, I once had trouble driving home after eating a bad burrito after a day of skiing in the Rocky Mountains. Manning drove the Broncos for an apparent touchdown late in the second quarter, then skipped the end-zone celebration and an official review that overturned the score to seek refuge in the locker room for treatment on what was officially listed as a thigh injury.

So count this victory as the ultimate gut check.

The Chargers were a desperate team trying to keep their postseason hopes alive. With 16 players listed on the injury report at midweek, the banged-up Broncos then lost linebacker Brandon Marshall to a foot injury during the first half.

Denver laughs at trouble and keeps on truckin’. The Broncos have cut a Pro Bowl kicker, overhauled their offensive line and promoted an undrafted running back to a star. Nothing stops them. Connor Barth kicked five field goals Sunday, ranging in length from 19 to 49 yards. C.J. Anderson ran 29 times for 85 yards on a gimpy ankle. Maybe that helps to explain why the Broncos have won a dozen consecutive road games against division foes.

“Tough times on the road prepare you for the playoffs,” Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware said. “In the playoffs, everything is not going to be your way. On the road, you’ve got to go out, play 11 on 11, and find a way. Sooner or later in the playoffs, there’s going to be a hard-fought game where it isn’t pretty, and you’ve got to find a way to win.”

It takes a swagger to survive the road to the Super Bowl. The Broncos can walk into any NFL stadium like they own the joint.

Colorado basketball legend Chauncey Billups, attending his first NFL road game as a Broncos fan, looked up at the sea of orange jerseys in Qualcomm Stadium and declared: “When folks first told me Denver was America’s team, I said: ‘No way. Dallas is America’s team, and I’m a Cowboys hater.’ But after seeing Broncos Country come in here and take over, I’m subscribing to that narrative. Denver is America’s team.”